Lillington school could expand for more pupils

Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet committee met yesterday (Thursday) to discuss the recommendation to expand the Cubbington Road school, which would increase its number of new places from 30 to 60 from September next year.

The school currently has 161 pupils across all years and a capacity for 210 but it could eventually accommodate up to 420.

District councillor Alan Boad (Lib Dem, Leamington Crown), who is a governor for the school, said: “The issue in north Leamington, like in most other places showing a growing population, is that there aren’t going to be enough school places so there needs to be this expansion.

“Lillington is also the biggest site in the area for this work to take place.

“The council is also saying that in this area it now seems as if three children per family is the common number where in the past it used to be two.

“You have got that growth there and the issue is even if a family has one child at a school they might not be able to get another in.

“Lillington is a good school with high value added scores and it has good facilities, it just needs the classrooms for the extra numbers.”

A consultation for the expansion took place between January and February with only one response questioning the merits of expanding the school.

Other primary schools in the area, which include Telford and St Paul’s, are now either full or almost at capacity in all year groups.

They are also on constrained sites meaning expansion would not be possible.

Cllr Heather Timms, the county councillor responsible for policy on children, young people and families, said: “A notable increase in birth rates across the county, including Leamington, is the reason for this proposal.

“Rising birth rates are forecast to continue, so it is necessary to take measures to ensure that we will be able to meet our legal obligation to provide sufficient school places in the town.

“Of the schools in the local area, Lillington was considered most appropriate for expansion.”

There will be no change in the capacity of the school’s nursery, which currently has 22 children and a limit of 36 full time places. At the time of going to print the cabinet had not made its decision.